How to Choose Soccer Practice Games
Recommended Practice Games
Practice Plans

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You don't need to play different Practice Games at every practice. It is better to play the games that are most effective and use the additional time to play games that teach skills you need to work on (such as "Chipping the Ball", Throw-Ins or "Winning the Ball") or to teach defense or positions.

Here are the games you should start with (Remember, it's VERY important to have at least one ball per player):

-- For U-4 and U-6: "Hit The Coach™", "Monster Invasion™", "Soccer Bees™", "Follow The Leader™", and "Animal Soccer™" These games are easy to set up, fun and teach dribbling and kicking the ball. Your players will want to come to practice, the parents will get involved, your players will learn quickly and everyone will have fun, including you. You will be a very popular coach. Watch "Hit the Coach" on Coach Doug Video Clips

-- For U-8 and older: As a Warm-Up, start every practice by playing "Dribble Across A Square Game™" and if you have time, "Tick Tock" and "Tap-On-Top Race" (see the 3 Practice Plans below for examples). Then play "Dribble Around Cone & Pass Relay Race™" a LOT (use it to teach passing and Aggressive Receiving), "Shoulder Tackle & Strength On The Ball Game™" (for as many practices as needed), and either "Win the 50/50 Ball or be the First Defender 1v1 Attacking & Defending Practice Game™", "Defend The Goal & Clear Game™", "Chips/Lofted Passes Game™", or "Throw-Ins Teaching Game™", depending on which skills you need to work on. Scrimmaging is NOT a good way to practice -- it's inefficient, the best players get most of the touches, and it reinforces bad habits. However, if you scrimmage, ONLY scrimmage at your first practice so you can evaluate your players (play the "Small Sided Scrimmage Without a Goalie™" game) AND at subsequent practices ONLY scrimmage for 10 minutes at the end of practice by playing the "Small Sided Scrimmage Without a Goalie™" game.

Premium Practice Plans are at Premium Practice Plans.

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David at SoccerHelp

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